Day: July 9, 2011

Launching a home business as a personal shopper has many advantages for a budding entrepreneur. Start-up costs are minimal, demand is strong and growing, and hours are flexible. Depending on the area, personal shoppers can expect to make a reasonable income.

Job Description

If you are working for elderly people or people with limited mobility, you will be running errands and picking up items for those who can no longer drive. You might pick up a few grocery items or a prescription, clothing from a department store and such. You will not be providing medical care or personal care service. Busy parents require similar assistance with shopping and errands they don’t have time for.

Requirements

The biggest advantage of this service is the small start-up investment: you need a car and a telephone. You also need certain personal qualities such as friendliness, organization, and reliability. Then you need a couple of clients. To locate elderly clients, ask your friends and family for suggestions. Ask at churches, community centers and senior centers. Contact your state’s agency for the aging. Use similar methods to find busy working parents who need your service. Network or advertise at day care centers, social network sites, gyms or workplace break rooms. As younger people learn of the service you provide their parents, they will request your help, too. This is definitely a word of mouth enterprise. That’s why you were advised above to start with a couple of clients!

Advantages

You provide a valuable service, both to the elderly and their children who often carry this responsibility. You set your own hours, perhaps while children are in school, or around other obligations. Often you can combine client errands with your own, or pick up several clients’ items at the same place.

Drawbacks

If clients are not concentrated in one area, you may spend more time running around than is profitable. Try to limit your client base by location. The work can also be sporadic in the beginning. But as you become known and valued, you will find the hours filling up rather nicely.

Outlook

All services for the elderly should be strong for the next several decades. Many of today’s octogenarians will live to the century mark and right behind them are the largest generation ever: baby boomers. If they meet or exceed their parents’ longevity, the elderly will be consuming services for the next half-century.

Earnings

Many personal shoppers report making around $15 per hour; some are making much more. How much you make will depend on not only your geographic region but also the clients you attract. In densely populated areas, you should make more. As your management skills improve and your base expands, you can expect to see earnings increase, making this a solid home business opportunity.

Starting a personal shopper home business offers immediate income with flexible hours and can be quite profitable with long-term possibilities.

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